WIGAN have increased their bid for Lee Cattermole, and Gareth Southgate today confirmed the offer is close to the valuation Boro have slapped on the England Under-21 international.

The Latics are keen to sign the unsettled 20-year-old but the club have rejected all previous approaches.

However Southgate admits the new bid, tabled just hours before last night’s Algarve Challenge Cup tie against Celtic, is being considered.

The new development resulted in Cattermole watching the 1-1 draw from the bench in the Estadio Algarve after it was decided he wouldn’t be in the right frame of mind to play.

Southgate said: “Something could happen in the next 24 hours. It’s not a deal that’s been agreed, but they have put a revised bid in and it’s pretty close to what we’re looking for, so we felt from everybody’s point of view it was best if he didn’t play.

“But he’s still our player and he stays with us on this trip.”

It’s likely Boro will accept the offer - believed to be in the region of £3m - and the incoming cash will help finance a £5m bid for Reading midfielder James Harper.

Southgate wants to conclude his transfer business before the season starts on August 16 so he will be happy with the pace of events.

Cattermole will return to the UK ahead of the rest of the Boro squad to discuss personal terms if Wigan’s offer is accepted.

“He’ll stay with us as long as he’s our player,” said Southgate.

“If a deal’s agreed we’ll have to take a view on that, but at the moment we haven’t actually agreed anything.

“Quite a bit happened yesterday afternoon with it, so I didn’t feel it would be right for him to be going into the game.

“We’ve had a revised offer from Wigan and we feel that he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to play. It’s not a done deal, but it’s given us something to consider.

“Lee was aware of it so we thought for all parties it was better for him not to play.”

Meanwhile Boro teenager Richie Smallwood has signed his first professional contract with the club.

Redcar-born Smallwood has been given a three-year deal after impressing at youth and reserve level.

A central midfield player, Smallwood’s performances for the reserves last season resulted in a call-up to the England U18 squad for a game with Austria at Hartlepool’s Victoria Park where he made his debut as a half-time substitute.

Boro’s Academy manager Dave Parnaby congratulated 17-year-old Smallwood on his new deal, saying: “It is a wonderful achievement for Richie. He is a smashing lad who has worked hard to get to where he is now.”

Parnaby continued: “It’s an encouraging start to his career. He is a clever player and has the potential to go far in the game but the hard work starts now.”